Automatic cut-off for gas-valves



R. E. NEWELL. AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF FOR GAS VALVES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2.19m.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921;

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ROBERT E. Taiwan, on IRWIN, rnmvsrnvama AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF FOR GAS-VALVES Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application filed July 2, 1919. Serial No 308,196.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, llonnn'r E. NnwnLL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Irwin, in the county of lVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful invention in Automatic Out-Oils for GasValves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to .gas valves and consists of a device which automatically closes the valve opening whenever the flame at the burner, supplied through the valve, is extinguished. l l

My object is to prevent loss and accidents from the escape of gas throughopen, unlighted, gas jetswhether such escapeisdue to wind, interruption of the gas pressure, carelessness or other causes.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the cut-01f mechanism when the valve is closed; Fig. 2 is a similar view when the valve is open and Fig. 3 is in part .a side view and in part a vertical longitudinal section through the device when applied to a gas stove or heater. and. showing :the parts when the valve is open and the fiame'is burning. j j j,

The mechanism is included in a housing 1. Near the lower part of this housing is a valve chamber 2, supplied by line 3 and opening into a conduit 4 which leads to the stove burner 5. j

Two means are utilized for controlling the flow of gas through the valve ports 6: One is a valve plug 7, operated by ahandle S on the plug stem 9. Plug 7 is provided with a transverse hole 10. Stem 9 is provided with. a lateral finger 11. The other control means is a taper bushing 12 which fits inside of valve chamber 2 and surrounds plug 7. Bushing 12 has opposite, transverse holes 13 and 1 1 adapted to aline with ports 6 in the valve and hole 10 in plug 7 to permit the passage of gas, or to be moved out of alinement therewith to shut off the gas.

Integrally secured to the front end of bushing 12 is a large diameter disk 15. At one point in the circumference of disk 15 is an inward projection 16 provided with a notch 17. At suitable points on the disk lugs 18 and 19 arestruck up. The former projects outwardly and is adapted to be engaged by finger 11, while lug 19 projects inwardly and is adapted to engage a stop 20 on the face of conduit 1. I

On the left hand side of housing 1 is secured one end of a coil spring 21. The 013'- posite end of this spring is attached to disk 15 at a point approximately opposite to projection 16. The tendency of spring 21 is to the position shown in Fig. 1 with holes 13 and 14: out of alinement with valve ports 6.

On the face of disk 15 and near projection 16, a pawl 22 is pivoted, having its tail normally held againsta pin 23 by a flat spring 24;. While I prefer to use this pawl, it may be omitted and its function and the effects of its omission will be explained later.

A long flat spring 25 is secured at one end. near the top of the housing and at the other end is formed into a catch 26 adapted to engage notch 17 on disk 15.

Spaced from spring 25 is a thermostatic member 27 comprising two or more adja cent strips of thermostatic metal eachstrip of which is composed of two layers of materials having different ooefiicients of expansion. Each strip has the side composed of the material with the greatest coefficient of expansion turned away: from spring 25.

Member-27 is fixed at its upper end and normally passes almost directly in front of the first hole in burner 5. But when it is heated by the flame fromthis hole, it will bend in keep disk 15 and its integral bushing 12 in l.

an are which will. move its lower end toward disk 15 and that part of the member in the flame of the gas jet will only remain there a very slight period of time before moving to the position indicated by the full lines in Fig. 3. Pivoted on the lower end of member 27 is one end of a hook 28, the opposite end of which passes through a slot 29 in spring 25 and is adapted to engage the lower edge of: the slot. If engagehthe movement of pawl 22 from the position in Fig. 1 to j its position in Fig. 2, will cause it to disengage the hook from spring 25, while the reverse movement of the pawl will cause the pawl to pivot and to pass hook 28 without difficulty. j

Operation: To light burner 5, valve stem 9 is turned to the left,- finger 11 engaging lug 1S and thereby moving disk 15 and bushing 12 with it until. notch 17 is engaged by catch 26. At this point, holes 10, 13 and 14 are alined with the openings in the valve chamber 2 and the gas may flow into the burner and be ignited. The alinement of the gas passages will be indicated by the vertical position of the handle 8. By subsequently turning plug to the right, the

Gravity will cause the hooked portion to fall and engage'the spring when the hook T V has moved to the erated .under the of flame but the position indicated in Fig. 3. The thermostatic member has been opfull heat of at least one jet effect-of that operation has moved the member far enough'away .from

the flame to prevent deterioration of the vmetal although it still remains within a zone position.

liot'enough to-maintain' it in'its distorted If the flame is blown out or the gas pressure is interrupted by any cause, the sub 'Sequent cooling of member27 will cause ,it

to resume its normal position and, in so doing hook 28 will pull catch 26 away from .notch 16 and'spring 21 will rotate bushing ator opens the valve;

12 to the position shown in Fig. 1 which will close ports Gin .thevalve chamber, and prevent further'flow of gas. V

' 'As explained above, whenever the operpawl 22 disengages hook 128 allowing spring 25 to function properly. It it is desired to intentionally .extinguish .the'flame, a slight turn'cf handle 8 to the right will accomplish the purpose by disalining hole 10 and'the resulting cooling ofi member 27 will cause thelatter to operate 7 the'hoo'k, catch and spring as previously deisrcribed just the sameras if the flame were extinguished accidentally. 1

15'fand's1eeve 12 in handle 8 returned to'the open position, and

- The function; of catch'26is to hold disk open position-whenever it-will dothis whether or not the-gas is lighted 'at'the burner because pawl22 diseirilgages'hook 28 whenever the pawl passes 'manuallyholdhandlefi in ook in an anti-clockwise direction, -le'avin catch 26 free to function as dcscribed: f If m 22 should be omitted from the'assemb spring 25 would always be engaged "by hook 28 andcatch 26 could only engage "notch 17 when the thermostatic member 27 was distorted by heat. When lighting the burner, it would therefore be necessary to the 0 en position 'fdr'a fraction of a minuteuntil 00k 28 and ''atch 26 moved to the position-shown, in

3, While this would be a slight infcon've'nience, it would, at thesame time, be

an additional safet I prevent, for instance, a child from turning on the gas, then going away and leaving it on. 7 f the valve was opened'and the gas remained unlit, spring 21 would close the, valvefiinmediately the handle 8' was rehas e d. .5 I

device may be manufactured with or without pawl 22'as its function be deemed y measure, as it would' chamber; a, valve plug and a. valve bushing" adapted to coiiperate to open the ports of said valve, and adaptedto independently close said ports; a catch'adapted to hold said bushing when it is so cooperating; a spring, distorted when saidcatch is so functioning but normally tending to hold said bushing sons to dose said ports; and a thermostatic member adapted to on e said catch when heated, and, when col to release the hold of said catch on 3. In an automatic cut-01f for a gas burner, a valve-adapted to be opened by a cooperating plug and bushing, and adapted to be closed. by said plug or said bushing; means tending to hold said bushing so as to close saidv'alve, a spring catch a apted t4) holdsaid bushing when it is turned so as to open said valve; and a thermostatic device operating, when heated, to enga said spring and, when cooled, to move and catch to re case said bushing.

4. In an automatic cut-off for. a gas burner, a gas supply means normally held in a closed position, a spin element adapted to engage and secure sai means when the latter is moved to an open position, a thermostatic strip fixed at a pomt spaced from said burner and having an unfixed portion adapted to alinewith an opening in said burner when cool and to move from alineed on a moving portion of said strip and adapted to connect with said element when said strip is heated and to disengage same from said means when said strip is cooled.

5. An automatic cut-oil for gas burners comprising a valve chamber provided with ports, a bushing adapted to open or to close said ports, a plug adapted to operate said bushing to open said ports and adapted to regulate the passage of gas throu h said bushing and ports, means normally oldin said bushing so as to close said ports, a late adapted to hold said bushing when the latter is me position to open said ports, and a thermostatic member adapted, when heated, to engage said latch and, when cooled, to operate said latch to release said bushing.

6. An automatic cut-ofi for gas burners,-

said bushing.

be rotated to an open position or to a closed position to permit or to prevent respectively, the passage of gas through said valve, a finger adapted to be manually operated to rotate said bushing to the open position, means holding said bushing in the open position, and a thermostatic member engagim, said means when heated, and, when cooled, releasing the hold of said means on said 1 0 bushing.

7. An automatic cut-off for gas burners comprising a valve chamber provided with ports, a valve bushing and a valve each provided with ports, means for alining or 15 disalining all of said ports, and thermostatically operated means for disalining said orts.

8. ln an automatic cut-ofi for a gas burner, a burner supply valve, means auto matically holding said valve when the latter is moved to open position, a thermostat adapted to move from contact With the flame fed by said valve When heated thereby and when so moving to engage said means and, when cooled, to render same inoperative.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my hand this 30th day of June, 1919.

ROBERT E. NEWELL. 

